Bay and bow windows protrude from your home’s exterior walls, adding space and flooding your living spaces with natural light. They can also add value to your property when you decide to sell it.
Window contractors are a vital component of any home renovation project. The right contractors can ensure that your new windows are functional and beautiful.
Aesthetics
Both bay and bow windows protrude from the walls of a house, offering extra space inside while flooding rooms with natural light. These window styles are often used in transitional or contemporary homes but can be beautifully installed in a traditional home as well. Both types of window have a wide ledge that is perfect for decorations such as framed photos, plants and candles.
Other window types that can add character to your home include hopper windows (perfect for basements), fixed windows that are purely decorative, Jalousie windows with glass slats that open like blinds and Skylight windows that are ideal for stargazing. Whichever window type you choose, it will immediately increase your property’s elegance and real estate value while decreasing energy costs due to its excellent insulation and sun filtration properties.
Energy Efficiency
A bay window creates an expansive view, bringing natural light into a room and increasing its square footage. It can also add value and charm to your home.
They can be a great addition to kitchens, breakfast nooks and living rooms. They provide a cozy spot for reading or a place to enjoy the view.
However, they can let in more sunlight than some homeowners would like. This can be an issue if you keep your home cooler and have fabrics that can be damaged by direct long-term sunlight exposure.
Fortunately, your window replacement professional can install double and triple-pane windows that improve thermal performance, decreasing the amount of sun’s heat that enters your home and reducing your energy bills. They can also use aluminum or fiberglass, both of which are durable and low-maintenance.
Low-E Glass
Unlike tinted glass, which can cause windows to vary in color, low-e doesn’t. Instead, it’s a transparent coating applied evenly to the surface of your window pane.
The soft, reflective coating reflects both heat and harmful UV rays to help keep homes cooler in warm weather. This helps reduce cooling costs and extends the life of furnishings, carpets and curtains.
Low-E windows are available in both single-pane and double-pane options, as well as with argon or Krypton gas fills between the panes for improved energy efficiency. For maximum performance, Viridian offers two types of hard coat and three types of soft coatings (LightBridge, SmartGlass and LightBridge Next). The latter eliminates the “blue” haze commonly seen on older low-e windows. This haze can be a concern for some homeowners, but is typically not visible in everyday use.
Argon or Krypton Gas Fill
Many energy efficient windows feature a layer of Krypton or Argon gas pumped between the panes. These noble gases, also known as inert gases, are far heavier than air and provide superior insulation to keep your house at a comfortable temperature without overworking your heating and cooling systems.
Argon is the more common gas used for insulation because it makes double-pane windows much more efficient by slowing down thermal energy and making it easier to keep warm in winter and cool in summer. However, Krypton is also available and is a more cost-efficient option for triple-pane windows that are less thick than double-pane windows. A window expert can help you decide which option is right for your home.
Blue Frames
With a blue frame, your windows will capture the tranquil beauty of seas and lakes. These frames offer homeowners a way to bring natural elements into their home without compromising on energy efficiency.
A window’s frame is an important element to consider when choosing a new style. An insulated frame provides protection against heat gain and loss, keeping the room comfortable throughout the year.
For improved energy efficiency, choose Bay or Bow windows that feature Low-E glass. This glass is designed to reflect radiant heat instead of absorbing it, which keeps living spaces bright and sunny without excessively heating the home. For maximum energy savings, install double- or triple-pane windows. These windows have more layers of insulation, so they reduce heat transfer and solar heat gain.